Cotton-gin.



No. 718,635. J PATEN'IIED JAN. 20,1903.

' P. F. KING.

COTTON GIN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1901.

N0 MODEL. 7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No..7l8,635.- PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

P. F. KING.

COTTON GIN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1901.

N0 MODEL. 7 3HEBTS SHEET 2.

No. 718,635. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

I P. P. KING.

COTTON GIN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5. 1901.

N0 MODEL. TSHBETS-SHEET 4.

No. 718,635. PATENTED JAN. 20,1903. P. F. KING.

COTTON GIN.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.5,1901.

N0 MODEL. 7 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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No. 718,635. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903. P. F. KING.

COTTON GIN.-

' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1901.

N0 MODEL. 7 SHEETSSHEET 'l.

221 72755555: Zia/21712721 Q @k/Ww/ NITED TATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHINEAS F. KING, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COTTON-GIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,635, dated January 2O 1903. Application filed December 5, 1901. Serial No. 84,854. (No model.)

To ail whom it vnay concern.-

Be it known that I, PHINEAS F. KING, a citizen of the United States,"residing in Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ootton-Gins, of which the following is a full, clear, and complete specification.

The invention relates to machines for separating the fiber from the seeds in cotton-bolls.

It is well known that the market value of cotton is estimated according to the degree in which it possesses the special characteristics that adapt it for its intended use. In. this valuation the quality first considered is the length and perfectness of the staple; then come strength, smoothness, and cleanliness. The greatest bulk of the cotton of the United States is what is known as upland cotton. The bolls of this upland cotton often become frost-bitten before they are considered ripe enough to be gathered. This makes a green-seed or short-staple cotton, in which the fiber clings to the seed with exasperating persistency.

The object of thisinvention is to remove the fiber from the seed in a thorough and efficient manner and without injury to thestaple, whether the bolls have been frost-bitten or not.

With this object in view the invention consists of the construction and combination of the parts herein described, and pointed out definitely in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forrning a part of the specification, in which- Figure I is a side elevation of the improved gin. Fig. II is a front view. Fig. III is a vertical longitudinal section on line III III of Fig. II. Fig. IV is a horizontal section on line IV IV of Fig. I. Fig. V is an enlarged detail in section of the hopper and strippingrolls. Fig. VIis a view of the beating and conveying screw employed in the cleaningdrum. Fig. VII is a perspective View of a portion of the bottom of the cleaning-drum. Fig. VIII is an under side view of the guideframe located below the stripping-belt. Fig. IX is a section through the hood on line IX IX of Fig. I in direction of arrow. Fig. X is a side elevation of the outer end of the hopper, suction-fan, and connections as viewed from the left side; and Fig. XI is a plan view of the first stripper-plate detached.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the drawings and specification.

The frame 1 of the gin is preferably made of strong durable wood timbers for the purpose of reducing the weight of the machine as much as possible and adapting it to be placed on trucks and transported from place to place, as occasion may require, and operated by a portable engine or other motive power. Attached to the frame at the front of the machine is a hopper 2, adapted to receive the bolls as they are picked from the plants. It will be clearly understood from the following description of the machine that no care is necessary in the picking to insure good results from the gin, as the hulls, stems, and other extraneous matter that may enter the hopper are as readily cleared from the cotton as the seeds.

Within the hopper 2 is an inclined adjustable apron 3, which guides the contents of the hopper to the opening 4. Attached to the bottom of a partition 5, which forms the rear wall of the hopper, is a stripper-plate 6, the two edges'of which are beveled downward and serrated, as shown in Fig. XI. Two rolls 7 and Sam journaled in adjustable bearings 7 7 and 8 8 which are attached to the frame. These rolls carry an endless belt 9, said belt being provided with a series of teeth 10. The belt 9 is located below the hopper 2 and the stripper-plate 6, there being a slight clearance between said plate and the tops of the teeth 10. The teeth 10 on the belt 9 are so arranged that they will register with the serrations on the outer side of the stripperplate 6. Mounted in suitable housings attached to the frame is a gang of rolls 11, 12, and 13, each of which is provided with a series of teeth 11 12 13 The relative position of the rolls 11 12 13 and the belt 9 is shown in Fig. V. The distance between the face of the roll 11 and the belt 9 is'seven-eighths of an inch, and the same distance is maintained between the face of the rolls 11 and 12 and between the rolls 12 and 13. The

teeth on the belt 9 and on the rolls 11, 12, and 13 are three-quarters of an inch long, thus allowing a clearance of one-eighth of an inch between the points of the teeth and the face of the rolls. The teeth on the several rolls and on the belt are staggered or so located that in the revolution of the said rolls and the belt the teeth will notimpinge one against another. The rolls 11, 12, and 13 are covered with a hood 14:, which is attached to the sides 1 and 1 of a box built up from the frame 1. A clearance of one-eighth of an inch is allowed between the outer ends of the teeth of the rolls 11, 12, and 13 and the hood 14:. It will be understood that the foregoing dimensions are not arbitrary, but simply used to facilitate the explanation of the machine. Attached to the frame underneath the roll 13 is a comb-shaped stripper 15, the points of the teeth of which are in proximity to the surface of the roll 13,and the teeth ofsaid roll pass between the teeth of the stripper 15. A frame 16, having longitudinal ribs 16 therein, is attached to the two sides 1 and 1 underneath the belt 9. These ribs 16 extend upward to the belt between the teeth 10 on said belt and act as guides to prevent lateral shifting of the belt. The inner ends 16 of the ribs 16 are beveled, and thus act in the same capacity as the stripper 15. A chamber 17 is located below the stripping-rolls and receives the material deposited therefrom after it has been treated by the action of said rolls, which will presently be explained in the description of the operation of the machine. 18isa grate extending transversely of said chamber.

19 is an air-duct in open communication with the outer end of the chamber 17 and connected with some suitable forced-air supply. The inner end of the chamber 17 is connected through the chute 20 with an upright cylindrical chamber 21, which for convenience will be called the beating and clearing chamber. The upper end of the casing 21 of the chamber 21 is attached to the depending flange 22 of a circular casting, and the lower end of said casing is attached to the casting 23, which is secured to the bedframe 1. The upper and lower castings are rigidly connected by the tie-rods 24.

\Vithin the beating and clearing chamber, concentric with the casing thereof, is a series of perpendicular rods 25. These rods are preferably double-convex in cross-section and are seton an angle, as shown in Fig. VII.

They are rigidly attached to the upper and lower castings of the chamber 21, except where the chute 20 enters the chamber. At this point the lower ends of the rods are rigidly attached to the top of said chute.

Surmounting the beating and clearing chamber21 and in open communication therewith is a hood 26.

Mounted on suitable roller-bearings in the bed frame and extending perpendicularly through the center of the chamber 21 and the hood 26 is a hollow shaft 27, provided at its upper extremity with a bevel-gear 2 Surrounding the hollow shaft 27 and rigidly attached thereto within the beating and clearing cylinder is a helical screw 28, which is provided with a series of radiating arms 28. The arms are attached to the blade of the screw at intervals from the bottom to the top, the outer ends of said arms being in proximity to the perpendicular rods 25. The stem of the screw 28 is provided with a series of openings 28", which follow the line of the thread on the under side thereof. These openings register with a series of openings in the hollow shaft 27. A branch 19 of the airduct 19 enters the lower end of the hollow shaft 27, the top of said shaft being plugged.

Within the hood 26, near the outer end thereof, is located a pair of transverse rollers 29 and 29. One or both of these rollers are mounted in movable bearings. In the drawings the upper roller is shown as mounted in a pivoted arm 30. This arm has a spring 30, connected with the hood-casing, which has a tendency to keep the rolls 29 and 29 in contact with each other. The faces of the said rolls are scarified.

Situated outside of the rollers 29 and 29 is a suction-fan 31, the intake of which is just above the upper roller 29. The outlet 31 of the fan 31 may be to the atmosphere, or it may be connected by suitable connections (not shown) with the air-duct 19, and thus supply the current of air for the chamber 17 and hollow shaft 27.

32 is the main driving-shaft. It is provided with a bevel-gear 32, which is in mesh with the bevel-gear 27. The suction'fan 31 is operated from the main driving-shaft by means of the belt 30 and the pulleys 32 and 31. A sprocket-chain 33 transmits power from the fan-shaft to the upper roller 29, which in turn operates the lower roller 29 through the medium of the two pinions 29 and 29. A secondary shaft 34 is mounted in suitable bearings attached to the frame and is provided with the pulley 3t and the sprocket wheels 34 and 34f. The secondary shaft 34 is driven by the sprocket-chain 35, meshing with the sprocket-wheel 34cand the sprocket-wheel 32. The roller 13 is driven from the pulley 34 by the cross-belt 36. The belt 9 is driven from the sprocket-wheel 34: by the sprocket-chain 37 and the sprocket-wheel 8, attached to the roller 8. The roller 11 is driven by a sprocketchain 38 and sprocket-wheels 8 and 11 and the roller 12 is driven by the sprocket-chain 39 and the sprocket-wheels 11 and 12.

In the operation of the gin the main shaft 32 is driven in the direction of arrow at. This through the various connections hereinbefore described will cause the different parts to cooperate to produce the desired result, the required difference of speed of the moving parts being predetermined and provided for by the proper gearing of the operating mechanism. The bolls as they come from the pickers are deposited in the hopper 2 and are directed by the apron 3 to the opening 4, where they are caught by the teeth 10 of the belt 9, which is revolving in the direction of arrow 19 at thirty revolutions per minute. The first action of breaking and stripping occurs as the mass of the material is carried by the belt into contact with the serrated edge of the stripper 6. The roller 11 is revolving in the direction of arrow 0 at forty revolutions per minute, and thus strips the material from the belt 9, carrying it around to the roller 12, which revolves in direction of arrow (1 at fifty revolutions per minute. This in turn strips the material from the roller 11and carriesittotheroller13. Saidroller13, revolving at the rateof sixty revolutions per minute in direction of arrow 6, strips the material from the roller 12 and deposits it in the chamber 17. These specified rates of speed are not arbitrary, but are taken to illustrate about the right proportion of the increase of speed from the belt to the last of the series of stripping-rollers. Should there perchance any material be carried by the belt past the roller 11, it is stripped from the teeth by the stripper and the inner ends 16 of the ribs 16. The comb-shaped stripper removes any material which might adhere to the teeth of the roller 13 and deposits it in the chamber 17. It will readily be seen that the action of the teeth of the several rolls revolving at difierent speeds on the material is that of carding the material or opening, breaking, or freeing it of extraneous matter, while at the same time the teeth drawing from each other have a tendency to drag the cotton from the seeds without cutting or breaking the staple. The teeth on the several rolls in their process of stripping the cotton from the seeds will carry the seeds through the circuit until the mass of material is deposited in chamber 17. After the mass of material has been deposited in the chamber 17 the lighter parts are caught by the air-blast and carried through. the chute 20 into the beating and clearing chamber 21, while the seeds which have been entirely freed from the staple and other heavy extraneous matter are allowed to drop through the grate 18. The seeds which still have the staple adhering to them are carried by the air-blast through the chute 20 along with the freed staple; The combined efiect of the airblast from the chamber 17 into the chamber 21, the rapidly-revolving screw 28, and the suction-fan 31 is to produce a strong upward current which has a tendency to convey the entire mass upward. The air-blast from the hollow shaft through the openings 28 keeps the lighter matter, or the staple, in suspension in the clearing-chamber where itis free to be carried by the upward current into the hood 26. The seeds and other heavier matter which have been carried into the clearing-chamber either drop through the openings 23* in the bottom of the clearing-chamber or are caught by the arms 28 and thrown by centrifugal action against the perpendicular rods 25, where they are freed from any remaining staple which may have adhered to them. The staple thus freed is caught by the upward current, while the seeds pass between the rods and drop through the openings 23 outside of said rods. This beating process allows nothing but the light freed staple of the cotton to pass into the hood 26. The action of the suction-fan 31 draws the cleaned staple toward the intake of said fan. A deflecting-plate causes the staple to be caught by the scarified face of the roller 29 and carried between the rollers 29 and 29 to the exit-opening 41, the movable bearings of said rollers allowing them to accommodate themselves to the thickness of the mass of staple passing between them, the springpressure being sufficient to carry the staple through without damaging it. The plate or apron 40 being set at the proper angle back of the roller 29, as shown, deflects the staple, which is driven by a strong draft from the beating-chamber, against the scarified rollers 29 and 29*, said rollers revolving in opposite directions and outward from the nearest meeting-points of their circumferences will catch the staple and carry it between said rollers.

By following the operation of the gin it will be noted that the action is a drag on the staple of the cotton in the same direction from the time the process begins until the cleansed staple passes out of the exit-opening.

The machine may take on many minor changes in the details of construction for the purpose of economy and durability of construction and adjustability of parts without departing from the nature and scope of the invention.

Having now described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cotton-gin, in combination, two rollers, an endless belt provided with teeth and mounted on said rollers, said belt arranged to revolve at a given speed, a roller provided with teeth that interpass the teeth on the belt and which revolves at a greater speed than said belt, a second toothed roller,

the teeth of which interpass the teeth of the ning at increasing speed from the belt to the last roller of the series, in combination with a hopper and a stripper-bar arranged above the-teeth of said belt substantially as specified.

3. In a cotton-gin in combination a toothed belt and a series of carding or stripping rolls, the teeth of which interpass, said rolls and belt, cooperating with each other and running at increasing speed from the belt to the last roller in the series, a stripper-bar above the teeth of the belt, a casing over the teeth of the outer face of the rollers, and a stripperbar below the last roller of the series substantially as specified.

a. In a cotton-gin in combination a toothed belt and a series of carding or stripping rolls, the teeth of which interpass, said rolls cooperating with each other and running with increasing speed from the belt to the last roller in the series, a stripper-bar above the teeth of the belt, a casing over the teeth of the outer face of the rollers, a stripper-bar below the last roller of the series, and a series of ribs which lie between the teeth of the belt on the under side thereof substantially as specified.

5. In a cotton-gin in combination a toothed belt and a series of carding or stripping rolls cooperating with each other and running at different speeds, the speed increasing from the belt to the last of the series of rolls, a stripper-bar above the teeth of the belt, a casing over the teeth of the outer face of the rolls, a receiving-chamber below the series of rolls and an air-blast connected with the outer end of said chamber substantially as specified.

G. In a cotton-gin a hopper and a series of carding and stripping rolls cooperating with each other, a receiving-chamber below said stripping-rolls, an air-blast connected with the outer end of said chamber, a perpendicular cylindrical chamber in open communication with the inner end of said receivingchamber, a shaft mounted in suitable bearings and extending through the center of the cylindrical chamber, a helical screw rigidly attached to said shaft, and means for revolving said shaft substantially as specified.

7. In a cotton-gin in combination two rollers, a toothed belt revolving on said rollers, a series of carding or stripping rollers cooperating with each other and with said belt, a receiving-chamber below said series of rollers, a grate in the bottom of said chamber, an airblast connected with the outer end of said chamber, a perpendicular cylindrical chamher in open communication with the inner end of the receiving-chamber, a helical screw rigidly attached to a hollow shaft, said shaft mounted in suitable bearings, and extending through the center of the cylindrical chamber, means for revolving said hollow shaft, a series of radiating arms attached to the blade of the screw, openings through the stem of the screw and the hollow shaft on the under side of the screw-blade, and an air-blast entering the lower end of the hollow shaft substantially as specified.

S. In a cotton-gin in combination a hopper, a toothed belt and a series of stripping-rollers and stripping-bars cooperating with each other, a receiving-chamber, located below said rollers, means for driving said rollers and belt, an air-blast connected with the outer end of the receiving-chamber, a grate in the bottom of said chamber, a perpendicular cylindrical chamber in open communication with theinner end of the receiving-chamber, a series of perpendicular rods arranged within said cylindrical chamber concentric to the center thereof and near the casing, a helical screw rigidly attached to a hollow shaft, said shaft mounted in suitable bearings and extending through the center of the cylindrical chamber, means for revolving said shaft, a series of radiating arms attached to the blade of the screw, a series of openings through the stem of the screw and the hollow shaft on the under side of the screw-blade, and an air-blast entering the lower end of the hollow shaft substantially as described.

9. In a cotton-gin the combination of a toothed belt revolving on suitable rollers, a series of carding or stripping rollers cooperating with each other and with said belt, a receiving-chamber below said belt and rollers, an air-blast connected with the outer end of said chamber, a perpendicular cylindrical chamber in open communication with the inner end of the receiving-chamber, a helical screw rigidly attached to a hollow shaft, said shaft mounted in suitable bearings and extending through the center of the cylindrical chamber, means for revolving said shaft, a series of radiating arms attached to the blade of the screw, a series of openings through the stem of the screw and the hollow shaft, an air-blast in the lower end of said hollow shaft, a hood over the top of the cylindrical chamber and in open connection therewith, a suction-fan at the outer end of said hood, a pair of ejecting-rollers located in the hood between the cylindrical chamber and the suction-fan, and means for operating said rollers and the fan substantially as described.

10. In a cotton-gin a perpendicular cylindrical chamber, an air-blast connected with said chamber near the base thereof, a series of openings in the bottom of said chamber, a hollow screw mounted on suitable bearings and passing perpendicularly through the center of said cylindrical chamber, a series of radiating arms attached to the blade of said screw, a series of openings through the stem of said screw, a series of perpendicular rods arranged in the cylindrical chamber concentric to the center thereof and outside of the ends of the radiating arms, a hood above said chamber and in open communication therewith, a suction-fan at the outer end of said hood, a pair of ejecting-rollers located in the hood between the cylindrical chamber and the suction-fan, and means for operating said hollow screw, suction-fan and ejecting-rollers substantially as specified.

11. In a cotton-gin a series of carding and stripping rollers, cooperating with each other, a perpendicular cylindrical chamber, an airblast arranged below said rollers and adapted to drive the material deposited from the rollers into the perpendicular cylindrical chamher, a hollow, helical screw mounted in suitend of said receiver and an exit-opening beable bearings and passing perpendicularly tween said fan and the cylindrical chamber through the center of said chamber, radiatsubstantially as specified.

ing arms attached to the blade of said screw, In testimony whereof I affix my signature openings through the stem of said screw to in presence of two witnesses.

the hollow interior thereof, an air-blast connected with the lower terminal of said hollow PHINEAS KING screw, means for operating said screw, a re- Witnesses: ceiver in open connection with the top of the L. F. GRISWOLD,

to cylindrical chamber,a suction-fan atthe outer CHARLES H. TUCKER. 

